(A) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process of reducing the nitrate and nicotine contents of tobacco by treating the tobacco with a culture of a microorganism. More specifically, the invention relates to a process for treating tobacco to reduce the nitrate and nicotine contents thereof, which, when incorporated into a tobacco smoking product, yields smoke with reduced nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanide and nicotine deliveries without loss of desirable flavor and taste properties or other smoking qualities.
(B) Prior Art
For various reasons, it is often desirable to reduce the nitrate and nictone contents of tobacco. For example, in recent years, low nicotine content cigarettes have gained substantial consumer acceptance. Also, demand has increased for low delivery cigarettes and numerous techniques have become available for reducing either the nitrate content or the nicotine content of tobacco.
In the removal or reduction of the nitrate content, the most common method has included the use of chemical agents in selective nitrate removal from tobacco extracts by ion retardation techniques. Reduction of nicotine content from tobacco has been accomplished by both chemical means as well as by microbial treatment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,141; U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,609; and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,993 teach microbial treatment means for the reduction of the nicotine content of tobacco. However, there is no treatment known which enables selective simultaneous reduction of both the nitrate and nicotine content of tobacco in one treatment without reducing all flavor components, particularly one including the use of microorganisms.